Quote or Inspiration: Industry, thrift, and self-control are not sought because they create wealth, but because they create character. -Calvin CoolidgeExpertise: Networking, Maintain Legacy Systems, Computer ForensicsHometown: Lafayette, LAFirst job: EATELEducation & training: College Degree in Computer Networking, and several certifications.Number of computers at home: Nine, five of which are older than me!Hobbies: Working on cars, old computers, working on anything I can fix or optimize!Brainfood: Boneless Chicken WingsFavorite band or music: Mostly Classical music. I really don't listen to a lot of music but I do enjoy singing!Favorite thing about Verma Systems: I really enjoy the attitude of the workplace. Apps I can't live without: WiFi Analyzer Tech tip: Don't install software you don't need, keep your computer and your AntiVirus up to date, and don't open attachments from unsolicited e-mails!

Quote or Inspiration: “It's all in your head -- you just have no idea how big your head is.” ―Lon Milo DuQuetteExpertise: Project Management, Computer Networking, and TroubleshootingHometown: I was born in Houston, TX, but have lived in Baton Rouge for over 20 years.First job: Verma Systems, back in 2001! Back then, I worked as a “Bench Tech” repairing beige-box computers.Education & training: Mostly self-taught, and I went to ITT Tech night-school and received my Associates of Science in Computer Network Technology in 2010. I was Valedictorian, along with my classmate and now coworker, Dustin Leaycraft! I received my Project Management Professional (PMP) training and certification in 2016.Number of computers at home: Only 2: 1 desktop running Windows 10 Pro, 1 laptop running Linux Mint.Hobbies: Reading and collecting books, watching anime and Godzilla movies, and playing video games (PS4 and PC).Brainfood: N-acetyl Cysteine (look it up!) and Greek & Lebanese food. There is no such thing as ‘too much garlic’!Favorite band or music: I like a variety of things, from Blind Guardian and Daft Punk to Jars of Clay and Jamiroquai.Favorite thing about Verma Systems: Working with people who share my interests and passions, both professionally and personally.Apps I can’t live without: Reddit, Instagram, Wikipanion and AudibleTech tip: Try Googling “Alternative to…” when you’re researching a solution (this applies to anything from software to medical treatments). You’ll find information that you may not have previously considered!

Quote or Inspiration: Beer is proof that God loves man. “Benjamin Franklin”Expertise: Technology and Business SolutionsHometown: Brittany, LouisianaFirst job: Summer job at Catholic High entering my freshman yearEducation & training: Communications Studies at LSU, Networking & Cisco ICND2 trainingNumber of computers at home: 2; one for gaming and one for mediaHobbies: Catching fish, PC gaming- Paragon, guitar, and dominating my fantasy football leaguesBrainfood: SushiFavorite band or music: Top 5 would be: Led Zeppelin, Hank Jr, 2Pac, Armin Van Burren, and Oscar winner Trent ReznorFavorite thing about Verma Systems: The office culture and the people. I’d compare the group here to the 92’ US Olympic basketball squad.Apps I can’t live without: ESPN Fantasy AppTech tip: When searching in Google and you come upon an unknown or suspect site… click the down arrow next to the resulted web address and select “Cached.”

Quote or Inspiration: "The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance." -Alan Watts

Expertise: Production/Project Management & Customer Service

Hometown: New Orleans, but I’ve lived in Baton Rouge most of my life

First job: Raising Canes!

Education & training: Graduated from Parkview Baptist in Baton Rouge, studied Business at LSU, and I’ve trained in Customer Service and Production Management.

Number of computers at home: 4 laptops and lots of music gear that qualifies as a computer at my house...I’m an electronic music nerd.

Hobbies:Music- My guitar, the band my wife and I started called “Lucy and the Gamblers,” my Korg Electribe and my home recording studio.Meditation- I’m a big fan of vipassana. Health/Fitness- I’m a health nut who loves to eat salads; I race mountain bikes, run marathons, and like just talking about healthy food and exercise in general.Outdoors-I am an eagle scout and love spending lots of time outdoors!

Brainfood: Salad main dish...morning smoothie close second.

Favorite band or music: Impossible to answer...I enjoy just about every note of music ever played. I’m a music nerd who just appreciates the art form in all its glory.

Favorite thing about Verma Systems: The intense after work team laser tag games!

Number of computers at home: 4— two gaming laptops and two high performance general use laptops.

Hobbies: 4-wheelers, dirt bikes and dune buggies. I’m currently trying to make my Mustang Cobra a show car and upgrade my motorcycle.

Brainfood: Green and red apples!

Favorite band or music: Future bass, electronic, progressive, house, trap, and some Metal

Favorite thing about Verma Systems: The atmosphere at Verma makes me want to be involved with anything. Everyone is welcoming to new faces no matter if you have been in the industry for years or just getting into the field.

Apps I can’t live without: SMITE, Spotify, and Discord!

Tech tip: The fastest way to smart is through stupid. There’s no way to get to smart quickly unless you’re comfortable looking stupid in the name of progress.

Favorite Quote: “Virtue Thrives Under Oppression” - Chapman Family Coat of Arms MottoWhy IT?: I’ve loved computers for as long as I can remember.Hometown: Baton Rouge, LAFirst job: Summer Day Camp CounselorEducation & training: Degree in Computer Science from Southeastern (2011), 6+ years Datacenter and desktop supportNumber of computers at home: 5, I think. Do tablets and game consoles count?Hobbies: Spending time with my wife, playing with my dogs, watching movies, going to concerts, and playing video gamesBrainfood: Steak and RibsFavorite band or music: Starset and Nothing MoreFavorite TV show: Westworld and House of CardsFavorite thing about Verma Systems: Fellow co-workers and everything being orangeApps I love: Wink Home AutomationTech tip: Use an Adblocker in your browser, not only will it remove annoying ads but will also reduce your risk for virus infection.

Congratulations! April 30 marked David's fifth year with Verma Systems. We appreciate his contributions and leadership to the network engineering team... and we'd be remiss if we didn't recognize his smokin' BBQ skills:)) Thank you David for all you do!

A BIG thank you to everyone who came out Saturday, April 8, for the HeartWalk. We walked and talked for three miles across the beautiful LSU Campus. It was a gorgeous Spring morning. The weather was perfect. And we walked for a great cause. Thank you Verma Systems!

Congratulations to Valerie Dauzat, Verma Systems' Customer Contract Administrator, for celebrating 20 years at Verma Systems on April 7. We appreciate your commitment to our customers and the company and sincerely thanks you for all you do!

In Cybersecurity Part I – The Threats, I discussed the rise in the number of cyberattacks being conducted and the types of threats organizations are facing. This article discusses a two-pronged approach that can be taken to mitigate the threat and develop resiliency to recover quickly from cyberattacks.

Step 1 – Conduct a Security Audit

To develop a plan to address your current IT security needs you’ll need to understand where you are. Having an experienced IT Services company perform a security audit is an essential first step. Security audits generally consist of vulnerability scans, password testing, penetration testing, and an examination of your strengths and weaknesses. The report should flag areas of concern and provide you with a plan to address any security problems that are found.

Step 2 – Protect the Gateway

Gateways are devices, like firewalls and routers, that stand between the internet and your network. All external network traffic passes through gateways making them the first line of defense against cyberattacks. Implementing a next generation firewall, like the Cisco ASA with FirePOWER Services, will add a security software suite that provides multiple layers of protection. IPS (Intrusion Prevention System), application-layer control software, malware protection, and URL filtering are all key components in a comprehensive gateway protection solution.

Step 3 – Protect Endpoints

Adding an anti-virus suite to endpoints, like PC’s and laptops, is no longer adequate to completely protect against today’s multi-vector cyberattacks. While still important, centrally managed anti-virus & malware software is only one piece of the puzzle.

Cloud-based breach protection software that works at the DNS layer, like Cisco Umbrella, will add an additional layer of endpoint protection. DNS protection works by preventing users from accessing web addresses that have been compromised to deliver malware or being used for phishing scams. Protecting email before it enters the network, scanning endpoints for anti-virus & malware, and implementing DNS layer protection create a formidable wall that will make it difficult for cyberattacks on your network endpoints to succeed.

Step 4 – Train Users

End users are the last line of defense in thwarting phishing scams, malware infections, and data leaks. Creating a training program in-house, or outsourcing training to an experienced IT consulting company, is vital to helping employees recognize and deal with cybersecurity social engineering threats. Knowing what kind of behaviors allow cyberattacks to succeed will go a long way toward protecting your network.

Step 5 – Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Planning

It’s important for your business operations to bounce back quickly in the event of a successful cyberattack, natural disaster, or catastrophic systems failure. Disaster recovery planning will help you determine what systems are the most vital and create a path to recover quickly. This is a multi-step process that will identify areas of improvement, create divisions of labor, and document the steps necessary to get your business back up and running.

Cyberattacks come from many directions and are constantly evolving. Experience has shown that these five steps -- conducting a security audit, protecting the gateway, protecting endpoints, training users and developing a disaster recovery plan -- will help thwart these attacks and allow a business to recover quickly and successfully.

February 1st marked Jose's fifth year with Verma Systems. As a Senior Network Engineer, Jose brings extensive IT knowledge and expertise to our clients and projects. Thank you Jose for everything you do day in and day out, and congratulations on making five!

Cybercrime is real and it is on the rise. According to Forbes, businesses lost an estimated $400 billion to cybercrime in 2015. That number is expected to rise to $2 trillion by 2019. It’s not only large corporations like Sony and Target that are affected. Small and medium-sized businesses are also at risk.

Hacking has evolved from being the domain of lone individuals to being a tool used by organized criminal organizations and nation states. Cybercriminals use tools like zero-day vulnerabilities, Trojan horses, and social engineering to steal data and extort money.

Zero-day exploits are unknown holes in software or device firmware. Hackers discover and take advantage of these holes to gain remote access to systems before vendors have a chance to patch the flaw. The Sony Pictures hack in 2014 was accomplished using a zero-day exploit. Hackers stole large amounts of corporate data and posted the information online.

Trojan horses are a form of malware that appears to be legitimate software. They are often delivered through email or surreptitiously installed while browsing infected websites. Users are typically tricked into installing Trojan horses through social engineering. Once installed, the software will act as intended providing backdoors to remotely access networks, copy and transmit sensitive data, or encrypt your data and hold it hostage.

Ransomware is one of the most prevalent, and insidious types of Trojan horses. The software encrypts data making it unusable. The criminals demand that a ransom is paid before they will decrypt the data. In 2016 ransomware increased 6,000 percent over 2015, according to a new study by IBM Security.

Last year 70 percent of businesses paid the ransom with most paying more than $10,000 and some paying substantially more. One high-profile ransomware infection occurred at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles. The internal computer system was unusable for a week, and they were forced to pay $17,000 in Bitcoin to retrieve their data.

In the next article, I’ll discuss the steps businesses can take to secure themselves from cybercriminals and recover from attacks.

Please welcome Baton Rouge native, Ryan Kell, to the Verma Systems team! Ryan earned his Associates Degree in Information Technology from University of Phoenix and is the oldest of two siblings, a brother and a sister. As one of our Network Engineers, Ryan became interested in IT because he likes connecting computers and creating a functioning network. He enjoys espresso almost any time of the day, listening to music and likes trying different styles of beers and cigars in his down time.

November 23rd marked Dustin's fifth year with Verma Systems. As a Senior Network Engineer, Dustin continues to step up to the plate and go the extra mile for our clients and the Verma Systems team. Thank you Dustin and congratulations on making five!

Please welcome Robert Pierce to our Network Engineer team, a devoted family man who bleeds purple and gold on Saturdays and black and gold on Sundays!

Robert comes to us with nearly 15 years experience in all facets of IT from industries including gaming/casino, healthcare and media.

By accident Robert chose the IT field. He was working as a video store clerk at the time while in high school. His manager asked if he’d like to help put the store’s inventory into this new thing called a database. “I was always the kid that took his toys apart to see what made them tick. I had to know how all of this worked; it was love at first byte,” Robert joked.

Personal info: Married to the love of his life, Sherri, for 13 years. Three children ages 13, 11, and 8. The four of us are inseparable.

Hobbies & interests: Family and sports; even if we’re all plugged into our favorite games or devices, we have to be near.

Inspirational quote or saying: “Do. Or do not. There is no try.” -Yoda

We are excited to report the Verma Systems Employee Flood Relief campaign has raised $6,950 in 13 days! What an incredible display of kindness, generosity and heartwarming support from so many friends, family, co-workers and business colleagues. Please help us spread the word and share the link below. Let's do this!

Please welcome Jay Martin to our Network Engineer team. Jay attended Baton Rouge Community College and always knew he would pursue the IT field because of his love of computers and the idea of working with them every day. “I was never outside a whole lot, instead I spent most of my time on the family computer trying to figure out what “cool” things I could do. The IT field is challenging at times but that’s something I’ve grown to look forward to,” Jay said.

In his spare time, Jay can be usually be found on the BRCC campus continuing his education or spending time watching TV, reading a Marvel comic or catching Pokémon.

Jay’s favorite saying is one from his Dad: “You’re never at your best, so always do better.”

gofundme.com/vermasystemsToday we launched a flood relief campaign to help our employees rebuild their lives. Please visit the link above to help us spread the word by sharing with your friends and family on Facebook. Thank you for your support and generosity!

#VermaStrong

This is one of our employee's vehicles completely flooded and floating in the street.

This is one of our employee's homes. The photo was taken as they were being evacuated by boat.

We at Verma Systems are heartbroken by the devastation and loss in our community. Many of our employees, like so many others, have lost everything. Our office is currently open and we’re working to assist our clients to get back up and running in any way we can. Communications, including phones and email, are spotty but we are working through it. The Verma Systems family is here to assist our clients, and each other, in the days and weeks ahead as the flood waters recede. #VermaStrong